British Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt has defended Britain’s post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union, describing it as: “excellent” Wednesday before the Treasury Committee of the Parliament. He also denied being the source of a press leak that Downing Street was considering joining the single market through a relationship between the EU and non-EU Switzerland.
Eurosceptic Tories were rattled by a Sunday Times article which claimed on Sunday that senior members of the government were working to restore access to Europe’s single market. Jeremy Hunt is cited as the source of this information because he publicly admitted that the Brexit Agreement (TCA), signed by former Prime Minister and Brexit architect Boris Johnson, created trade barriers with Brussels.
On Wednesday, he chanted before the Treasury Committee. “I have never supported or considered any agreement that would deviate from the ATT”. However, he added that“Removing physical barriers to trade, such as what happens on the Franco-Swiss or Swedish-Norwegian border, perhaps as appropriate under the Northern Ireland Protocol, that has been my public position for some time now.”.
“Significant benefits for the country»
In response to the controversy over Monday’s Sunday Times article in the United Kingdom, specifically, BrexiteersPrime Minister Rishi Sunak has already backed Brexit, but it is becoming increasingly unlikely among the British public, particularly the business community. “Let me be clear on this matter. “Under my leadership, the UK will not seek any relationship with Europe based on compliance with EU law.”Rishi Sunak, an early Brexitist, told a conference of the CBI, the country’s main employers’ organisation, adding that Brexit: “It has already brought significant benefits and opportunities to the country“.
Britain left the single market at the start of January 2021, five years after the Brexit vote, although trade remains largely tariff-free, ending freedom of movement and no longer contributing financially to the EU. Switzerland is not in the EU, but maintains a privileged relationship with it through numerous bilateral agreements and is particularly linked to the EU’s internal market, the Schengen Agreement, while making payments to EU member states.
Jeremy Hunt also said on Wednesday that the government’s energy bailout would not be extended beyond spring 2024, even if gas and electricity bills remain high. According to him, this support will cost the government 80 billion pounds this year and probably “The middle of next year“. “We will need everyone to play a part in solving this problem if we do not want to place a huge additional burden on taxpayers, which will ultimately lead to undesirably high taxes.”he announced.
Asked about political instability in the UK, which has seen three prime ministers and four chancellors of the exchequer in a year, he pointed out that his budget presented last week focused on austerity, tax increases and spending cuts; “to restore economic stability and consistency of economic policy”..
Source: Le Figaro
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